A key player in Real Madrid’s defeat this Saturday during the 26th round of La Liga, Isco Alarcón, captain of Real Betis, angered some Madrid fans for celebrating the winning goal. After the match, the 32-year-old Spanish midfielder shared his thoughts on the matter.
2013-2022: this is the time spent by Isco Alarcón at Real Madrid. A key contributor to the successes of the Madrid side between 2019 and 2022, the Spanish player played 353 matches, scoring 53 goals in total. Leaving under less-than-glorious circumstances to gain more playing time in Seville, the 32-year-old player eventually found refuge at Real Betis in 2023. Since then, he has firmly established himself as one of the key figures in Manuel Pellegrini’s system. This Saturday, against Real Madrid, his former club, the native of Benalmádena made his mark. Unstoppable in midfield, Isco caused major problems for the Madrid side.
Isco’s apologies to quell the controversy
A key assist for the equaliser, Isco Alarcón took charge of the penalty awarded after Antonio Rüdiger (who was having a poor game) fouled, securing victory for Real Betis. After this goal that dealt a blow to Real Madrid, he celebrated his strike emphatically. While, in such situations, players usually refrain from celebrating against their former team, especially one that helped them reach a career milestone, the Betis captain did not hold back. Although he made a hand gesture after his celebration to apologise to the Madrid fans, the celebration didn’t sit well with everyone in Madrid.
Immediately after the defeat of the Madrid side, Isco was asked the burning question. While receiving his Man of the Match trophy, the former Madrid player tried to douse the controversy. “The celebration? I apologised to the Real Madrid fans. Real Madrid will always be in my heart and I’m grateful to them for helping me fulfil all the dreams I had… They have the best players in the world, a lot of quality, a lot of speed. Always with Real Madrid in my heart and thankful for helping me realise all the dreams a child can have,” Isco Alarcón said.
In any case, the damage is done. A key figure under Zinédine Zidane during his time at Real, the current captain of Real Betis once again proved he remains a class player with his performance that caused significant problems for Carlo Ancelotti’s men this Saturday.
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